The open source Internet of Everything, container virtualization and KVM and OpenStack integration top the list of events at the upcoming Linux Foundation Collaboration Summit.

The Internet of Everything, container virtualization and KVM virtualization for the OpenStack cloud are all on the list of open source initiatives the Linux Foundation will be highlighting at its Collaboration Summit next month, which provides some useful clues as to where the open source ecosystem is headed next.

The Summit, scheduled for March 26-28 in Napa Valley, Calif., will begin with a keynote from Liat Ben-Sur of Qualcomm and the AllSeen Alliance (a nonprofit consortium that promotes the Internet of Everything) on how the open source community can advance the development and adoption of the Internet of Everything—a vision of the future wherein all types of devices and consumer appliances, from wireless printers to toasters, are connected and interact through the Internet.

The Internet of Everything is not quite here yet (my toaster struggles to make unburnt toast, which is a problem that will need to be solved before it's allowed on the Internet), but the Linux Foundation seems to believe firmly that open source software will be a key element in delivering it.

Other highlights of the conference include James Bottomley of Parallels discussing, "Why You Need to Care About Container Virtualization." The event program doesn't mention Docker specifically, but it's a safe bet that the up-and-coming container-based, open source virtualization platform—which virtualizes individual applications rather than entire operating systems—will be a part of the conversation.

And last but not least on the schedule of major keynotes are Mike Day of IBM (IBM) and Monty Taylor of Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) on KVM, OpenStack and open source cloud computing. Fusing together the KVM hypervisor and the OpenStack cloud platform to build integrated open source public and private cloud solutions is an endeavor the Linux Foundation has been pushing in other places recently as well. It's likely to remain a key focus for the consortium going forward.

The Collaboration Summit is an "invitation-only member event gathering core kernel developers, distribution maintainers, ISVs, end users and system vendors to tackle and solve the most pressing issues facing Linux today," according to the Linux Foundation, but interested parties can request an invitation.